Seniors living longer due to certain medical procedures

As Americans continue to live longer lives, surgeries and other health care options that allow them to be more productive are being considered by doctors who may not have offered them previously to people in retirement living communities.


Michael DeBakey was the pioneer of the open-heart surgery technique, but at 97, he didn't see the benefits of going through the lengthy and expensive procedure, so told his doctors not to perform it, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

His family chose to have him undergo the operation, and it added two years to his life.


"Forty years ago, it was taken for granted that the elderly were not good candidates for organ transplantation, dialysis or advanced surgical procedures. That has changed," Daniel Callahan, co-founder of the Hastings Center told the news provider.


For aging seniors, a less expensive option for staying healthier could be the use of statins, according to a study in the British Medical Journal.


Researchers found that the drugs helped those who were at risk for heart health problems benefitted from taking prescription statins, reducing the risk of diseases and potentially save lives.


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